50 Words in 50 Days 2015 Bonesology Hiatus Challenge
by NatesMama
Summary: The Bonesology 2015 Bones Hiatus Challenge. 50 words as prompts for 50 drabbles/snippets.
1. Comfort

_**A/N: Howdy all. Long time no see! So...we put forth a hiatus challenge at Bonesology and since I'm sort of the boss lady there, I thought it was only fair that I give this one a go. Basically, it's 50 words as prompts for snippets and drabbles, one a day if you can manage it. You can start anywhere in the list, as long as you go in order from your starting point. I'm going to start at the beginning and try for daily posting, but you know me…probably won't happen. I'll do my best to at least finish this one. Fingers crossed!**_

_**If you're interested in more reliable authors who have also chosen to take on this challenge, search the site for FaithInBones and AmandaFriend. They're both doing an outstanding job so far!**_

_**Thanks for reading…**_

_**~NatesMama**_

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Comfort

"Is she asleep?" Booth whispered as he stepped into the bedroom, walking carefully towards the bed and sighing with relief as his daughter's face appeared, eyes closed and breathing even.

Brennan nodded and adjusted the blankets. "Finally. I thought she was going to cry until she made herself sick." She shook her head as Booth gently settled on the other side of their daughter. "I'm worried that she's not adjusting to Sweets being gone. It's been six months, Booth. Generally, children Christine's age adapt to the death of a family member sooner than this."

Shaking his head, Booth resisted the urge to run his fingers through the soft, brown hair on the pillow next to him and instead reached for his wife's hand. "Everyone, even kids, process grief differently." He sighed heavily. "And Christine did get very close to Sweets when…" Clearing the catch in his throat that appeared whenever he thought of his unfair incarceration the year before, Booth continued. "When, you know…I was gone. And that's another thing, she was pretty upset about everything that happened then, and add losing her Uncle Sweets on top of that, it's understandable."

"I suppose. I just want her to be happy again."

"I know. You're a good mom, Bones." Booth smiled softly and leaned over their girl to claim a quick kiss and a soft rub of Brennan's growing belly. "Christine and this little one here are really lucky to have you."

"Thank you, Booth." She slid down to lay next to the sleeping child between them and smiled. "And you are an exceptional father. I chose very well when I made you my mate."

Stifling a chuckle, Booth joined his family in bed and pulled the comforter over all three and a half of them. "Thanks, Bones. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Booth."


	2. Kiss

Kiss

"Happy Valetime's Day, Daddy!" Christine hurtled herself at Booth, a slightly-chocolatey smile on her face and something clutched tightly in her tiny hand.

Laughing, Booth picked her up and easily threw her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. "Happy _Valentine's_ Day, Christine." He instantly recognized the small, shiny-wrapped candy the girl was trying to hide from him. "I see you got into Mommy's Kisses already."

The little girl squealed in delight as her father spun around in circles, making her both giddy and dizzy. "Daddy! Daddy, stooooop! I'm going to barf!"

"Alright, okay…" Booth dropped Christine back to the ground with exaggerated care, compensating for his own self-inflicted dizziness. "You know you're not supposed to have candy or chocolate before breakfast, Christine."

"I didn't!" A mini version of his own charm smile peeked out and Booth had an internal thought about payback being a bitch as he shook his head.

"Christine Angela Booth. Are you lying to me?"

Once her mother's pouty lip made its appearance, Booth decided it was time to put an end to Christine's mischief. "You know that doesn't work on me, young lady. Go wash your hands and face and get to the table for breakfast." Christine hesitated for a moment, looking as if she were going to debate her father, but Booth was implacable. "Now." He said sternly.

"Yes, Daddy." The pout was back again in full force, but at least now it accompanied acquiescence.

Booth watched, amused, as the little girl he loved so much gave him one more plaintive and slightly hostile look as she shuffled dispiritedly towards her bathroom to do what her father told her to do.

"Just like her mother."


	3. Soft

Soft

Booth was enjoying a relatively quiet afternoon of mind-numbing paperwork when a shrill voice from just outside his office broke his less-than-intense concentration.

"Seeley Booth. You'd better have an explanation as to why the Lawrence case is going down in flames!" Caroline swept through the doorway with the force of a hurricane and the destructive power of a person twice her height and half her age.

Booth hid a smile as the formidable prosecutor stood, arms crossed and foot tapping, glowering at him from her position in front of his desk. "Caroline…"

"No! Don't you dare use that toothy smile on me, Seeley. I am immune to your well-used charms."

"Caroline. Stop." Booth stood and rounded the barrier between them, wrapping his arm around the woman he'd always thought of fondly as a mother figure and guiding her to the chair next to them. He sat her down and moved to stand in front of her, leaning back on the edge of his desk and considering his opponent carefully. "Now, tell me what's going on. And quit scowling at me. It ruins your gorgeous face."

Huffing at Booth's blatant and manipulative flirting, Caroline explained how James Lawrence, the suspect they had arrested for the murder of his next-door neighbor six months previous, had managed to convince Judge Mitchell that all the evidence collection by the Jeffersonian should be called into question due to a misplaced signature on one evidence tag. Nodding, Booth understood why Caroline was upset and did his best to reassure her of his and his team's absolute professionalism.

"Is that all, cherie? We have no reason to worry. Everything was double-tagged, as usual. I'll call Bones and have her pull the files on the evidence, Caroline, but believe me when I say that Hodgins' method of evidence collection is above reproach." He returned to his place behind the desk and picked up his phone. "Chances are good that Mitchell just didn't understand and Lawrence's lawyer is desperate enough to try anything."

Caroline stared holes into the top of Booth's head as he leaned forward to read something on his desk as his call connected. Once he reached his wife, it was only a matter of minutes before Brennan had the evidence in hand and was reassuring Booth that everything was in order. By the time he'd said goodbye, Caroline was already standing in preparation to leave the office, metaphorical tail between her legs.

"Satisfied that the end of the world is no longer nigh, Ms. Julian?" His smugness did nothing to quell her irritation, but not for the first time did she notice that the agent's confident smile made even her knees just a little bit weak.

"Fine, Agent Booth. You've made your point. Thank that genius wife of yours for me." She turned to leave before Booth's amusement-tinged voice stopped her briefly.

"What, no thank you for me?"

As she stomped out, she muttered stubbornly. "Why should I thank you for doing your job?"

Booth's laughter followed her down the hall and she fought a smile of her own as she entered the elevator to head back to her own office.

Sighing, she regarded the unknown agent next to her who was doing a lousy job of pretending he was ignoring her. "Insolent man. Time was, I would have smacked that boy right upside his handsome head. I must be getting soft in my old age."


	4. Pain

Pain

Brennan had her eyes closed, which seemed unnecessary considering the fact that they were covered with a snugly wrapped silk tie. She could hear Booth moving around their bedroom, and from the sounds she could make out, he was lighting candles and setting the mood that was already making her heady with desire. She breathed deeply in an attempt to calm her racing pulse, but his scent surrounded her and she was anything but relaxed.

"Are you getting excited, Bones?" Booth was suddenly hovering over her, his breath ghosting across her exposed, heaving breasts.

She moaned softly, responding with the first thought to come to her mind. "Booth, you are the state lottery, the cure for cancer, and the three wishes from Aladdin's lamp all rolled into one."

With a snort, Booth pulled back and stared at her blankly. "What are you talking about, Bones?"

"Bones?"

"Boooth…." His hands were moving further down her body, eliciting a groan of his name.

"Bones? Babe, wake up."

His voice finally permeated her fog and she sat up abruptly, the sudden move causing her forehead to collide painfully with Booth's chin, sending them both flying backwards away from each other.

"Ow! Dammit, Bones! What the hell?" Booth rubbed his chin carefully, staring up at her from his position on the floor next to the sofa.

Brennan shook her head and looked around at the living room, where she had apparently fallen asleep reading. Noticing the novel still in her lap, she picked it up and threw it on the coffee table. "I'm sorry, Booth, really. Angela loaned me this book and it's so terrible I fell asleep reading. You startled me."

Booth glanced down at the tome Brennan has discarded, then took in her flushed skin and obviously pearled nipples, and finally discerned the look on her face as she rubbed her forehead. Guilt. He chuckled at the discovery. "Why, Mrs. Booth…you were reading Mommy Porn? Did it give you naughty dreams?"

"What? No!" Her automatic, emphatic and entirely too quick denial was all the proof he needed. He leaned up and kissed her, soft at first, and then more aggressively as she began to respond. Before it got too far, Booth pulled her off the sofa and headed for their bedroom. Once there, he guided her to the bed to lay down while he rifled through their walk-in.

"Um, Booth? What are you looking for?" Brennan asked, biting her lip in anticipation.

Booth sauntered out of the closet, several strips of fabric dangling from his fingers. He held them up with a naughty grin. "Ties."

"Oh crap."

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**A/N: Any resemblance to a certain set of really crappy books, one of which was recently turned into a movie, is completely intentional. **** Thanks to T for the beta. **


	5. Potatoes

_**A/N: I *told* you I wouldn't make it every day. :)**_

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Potatoes

"Booth!" Brennan's anguished scream brought her husband out of a sound sleep, his hands reaching for her next to him before his brain ever actually recognized what was happening. He grabbed her bicep and shook her slightly, still trying to clear the cobwebs in his mind and connect his sleeping reality with his waking reality.

"Bones…sweetheart. Wake up." His voice is sleep-roughened but clear. "You're dreaming."

Her gasp had him wrapping his arm around her trembling shoulders as he pulled her down, letting her head rest in his lap. He stroked her sweat-dampened hair and whispered endearments and reassurances while she pulled herself together, hands clenching the blankets that had been pushed down in Booth's haste to comfort.

"Booth?"

"Yeah, Bones. You okay?"

"I…I think so, yes." Brennan sat up and pulled the sheet with her, clutching it between her exposed breasts. She exhaled in relief and looked over at a still-concerned Booth. "I am, really, Booth. I promise."

"Pregnancy nightmares again?" He remembered the repeated scary dreams she had experienced when she carried Christine, and while this seemed similar he hoped for her sake that this was simply a one-off.

Shaking her head, Brennan turned and lay on her side facing Booth. He followed her lead and lay down beside her. "Probably, yes. And it was silly, but it was just so…unnerving."

"Is there anything I can do to take your mind off it?" His smile suggested her favorite distraction, and she was more than willing to take him up on his offer.

Booth pulled her over on top of him, catching her lips in a soft kiss before turning it up a notch to plunge his tongue into her mouth, massaging her ass with both hands as he pushed her down against his increasingly-large erection. She moaned in response and her hips picked up his rhythm as his hands moved up to bring his thumbs in line with her nipples, pinching and twisting them just the way she liked it.

"Booth…now." Brennan pleaded, lifting up to allow his cock to slide against her slick folds. With a satisfied, entirely male grunt, Booth slid into her and immediately started thrusting his hips up to meet her down stroke, her hot, wet walls pulling a deep groan from him that made her entire body quake in response.

Brennan, hands on his hard chest, pushed herself up to sit astride his hips and lead their dance. He reached for her, holding her hips tightly as his thumb stretched to tease her throbbing button, pulling a quick but intense orgasm from her just as his entire body clenched and he shot into her, his name for her echoing through their otherwise quiet bedroom.

As she collapsed against him, breathing heavily, she whispered one word that had him giving her a surprised laugh.

"What?"

"Mmmm. Potatoes."

Lifting his head to stare at the top of hers nestled to his chest, he chuckled again. "Bones, did you just say 'potatoes'?"

"Yes." Her matter-of-fact answer had him reaching around to turn her face to his.

"Potatoes. Like…the vegetable, potatoes?"

A faint blush that had nothing to do with their recent activity colored her cheeks. "Yes. I-my dream. It was about…well, now it just sounds really stupid."

"Bones…"

"Alright." She turned and rested her chin against his chest. "I dreamt that zombie potatoes were chasing me. Okay? Are you happy?"

Booth's full-bodied laugh had Brennan turning to get away from him but her progress was halted by his arms wrapped around her waist. "Bones, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have laughed." He kissed her softly. "And to answer your question…yes. I am very, very happy."

Her now-sleepy response sent him into such hysterics that she pushed him out of bed onto the floor, where he continued to laugh for five more minutes.

"That's good, Booth. Because I would hate to have to feed you to the undead tubers when they inevitably rise up and attack. Goodnight."


	6. Rain

Rain

Angela Montenegro had always loved the rain. Maybe it was her bohemian heart, spurring a deep-seated need to throw caution to the wind and dance naked through the falling drops…she didn't know.

What she did know was that the sound of rain on the roof, on the windows, on the pavement, made her heart settle. It inspired dancing but it also brought her close to a peace she didn't often have when she was younger. She'd had love, however temporary, and she'd had fun and she'd had laughter. But peace was something that always seemed just out of reach.

Her family at the Jeffersonian always seemed to find peace in their own ways that had nothing to do with the weather. Brennan with her bones, Booth with _his_ Bones, Hodgins with his bugs, Cam with her Blahniks…but for Angela, that calm never came. Not while doing the job they had all dedicated themselves to, anyway.

Sometimes she wondered what her life would be like now if she hadn't let Brennan convince her to stay with the lab. Would she still be using computers or would she have thrown herself into her art completely? Would she have been to Paris? Would she still have found her best love and created the most gorgeous child ever?

She knew the answer to those last two internal questions, and while a still, small part of her grieved the loss of her independent existence, the life she lived now more than made up for anything she thought she might be missing.

"Ang? What are you doing out here? And with an umbrella? You hate umbrellas." Hodgins' voice broke through her reverie, wrapping around her like the warmest, most comforting winter coat.

She turned around and smiled at him, not realizing that smile did the same thing for him that his voice did for her. "Oh, just enjoying the rain before I wake Michael Vincent."

Jack pulled his wife under the protection of the awning above them and wrapped her in his arms, a knowing grin crossing his face. "No dancing in the storm today?"

"Not today." She replied, collapsing the umbrella and setting it carefully against the side of the door as they moved inside. "I'd rather dance with you and our son. In our home. Safe and dry…and peaceful."


	7. Chocolate

Chocolate

Temperance Brennan had had a bad day and all she wanted was to go home, get settled and order her husband around so she could relax on the sofa and put up her aching feet. Pulling into their long, winding driveway, she noticed a beige car she didn't recognize at the neighbors and, idly deciding that they had purchased a new vehicle, hauled her tired form from her own small car.

As she walked up the steps to the front door, she smiled at the chestnut porch swing Booth had installed the weekend previous, one in a series of what he called "push presents", gifts he had either purchased or made for her during her pregnancy. The swing was actually crafted by her former boyfriend, Sully, who had moved back to the District several years ago and had been thrilled to help his old friend with the gorgeous russet woodwork.

With a quiet sigh, Brennan opened the large, mahogany door to their home and was immediately assaulted with two noises, one familiar and one strange.

The walls shook with a child's laughter and the barking of an excited animal.

Brennan had known Booth was going to find a dog for Christine to ease her worry over the new baby, and with her almost-daily exhaustion, she was more than happy to leave the finer details to her mate. She just hadn't realized that they would be welcoming their new family member so soon.

"Hello?" She called as she dropped her bag and her purse next to the door. "Is anyone home?"

"Mommy!" Her daughter's yell and subsequent embrace righted her world and caused her to close her eyes contentedly.

"Hello, Christine. How was your day?"

The young girl grabbed her mother's hand and dragged her towards the living room where Booth sat on the sofa with a small ochre bundle squirming on his lap. "Look, Mommy! Daddy brought us a dog!"

"Hey Bones. Welcome home." Booth reached a free hand out to help her ease down to sit next to him while leaning over to kiss her hello. "How did things go this afternoon?"

Brennan reached her hand out and ran it over the puppy's soft head, laughing a bit as he turned and lapped at her fingers happily. "It went well. I still think the lab tours are a terrible idea, but nothing untoward happened today so I shall reserve judgment for the time being."

"Good, good." Booth nodded as he watched his wife get acquainted with their dog. "So, what do you think? All the research I read says labs are good dogs for children, and the shelter had a chocolate lab available, so…" He looked to her with that hopeful, boyish expressions she loved so much.

"He's beautiful, Booth." Smiling at Christine, who was sitting at their feet petting her nut-colored puppy, she continued. "Am I to assume this is Gretzky?"

Christine shook her head. "No, Mommy. Daddy said I could name him whatever I wanted so his name is Cuboid."

Brennan jerked back in surprise, glancing at Booth, who managed to look both proud and disappointed at the same time. "Yep. Christine decided that she wanted to name this little guy after one of the bones in the body. We both liked how Cuboid sounded, so there ya go." He waved his hand towards girl and dog, smiling. "And to be honest, it fits him."

Cuboid sat up and climbed over Booth to crawl up Brennan's expanded waistline, his tiny paws patting her belly as he tried to reach up to lick her face. She indulged him as she leaned down and laughed with delight as their new pet welcomed her home.

Without a second thought as to how clichéd her life had become, something she once claimed she never wanted, Brennan settled back into the comfortable, rust-colored sofa and finally relaxed with her crazy, loud, disorganized and very loving brood.

"Welcome to our family, Cuboid."


	8. Happiness

_**A/N: Sometimes the word will be implied, rather than stated outright. This is one of those times. **_

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Happiness

"Bones? What's wrong?"

Brennan was pulled from her thoughts by her husband's voice, full of concern as he navigated the SUV through the snowy streets of Washington DC.

"What? Oh…it's nothing worrying."

Booth glanced over at her again, taking in her calm demeanor carefully as they waited at a red light. "You sure? You were staring at me pretty intently there for a minute. Seems like you have something on your mind."

"I do. I love you."

His brow furrowed in confusion even as a grin broke across his face. "I know, Bones. I love you, too." He reached over and brushed her hair off her shoulder. "Is that really what you were thinking about when you were giving me that intense once-over?"

Her honest answer took his breath away. "That is always what I am thinking when I look at you, Booth."

In an instant, Booth whipped the SUV to the curb and reached for her, the kiss he gave her taking her breath as well. When their lips parted, he rested his forehead against hers, greedily breathing in her unique scent. "Temperance. I love you so much."

"I know." She leaned forward and kissed him again, quickly. "Now let's get going, we have a crime scene to get to."

Booth chuckled at her seamless swing from heart-twistingly romantic to unwaveringly pragmatic and obediently shifted the car into gear, easing back into traffic. As they approached their destination, he glanced back at her and saw that she was once again looking at him.

"Now what are you thinking, Bones?" He turned off the engine and moved to follow as Brennan exited the vehicle.

She stopped at looked back at him, head tilted to the side in confusion. "You know what I am thinking, Booth. I just told you."

He smiled as he joined her, striding towards the flashing red and blue lights of their crime scene. "Yeah, you did, Bones. You sure did."


	9. Telephone

Telephone

"Hey Booth, I have a question." Aubrey had wandered into the kitchen initially to see what kind of delicious food Brennan was whipping up for their impromptu team get together but something in the house décor had caught his eye and he was fascinated.

Booth placed Brennan's crab puffs in the oven before addressing his young protégé. "Okay. Shoot."

Aubrey reached for a carrot on the crudité platter Brennan had just set down in front of him, earning a slap on the hand for his efforts. "The Bakelite. Where did you get such a great old phone? I'd love to have one, reminds me of the one my grandmother had."

Booth and Brennan exchanged a humored glance as Angela gasped from her seat at the counter. "It was a gift. I have no idea where she got it."

"Oh. Well, then Doctor Brennan, can I ask where you got the phone?"

"You can ask, but as I was not the one who purchased the phone for Booth, you would be wasting your time." Booth rolled his eyes and surreptitiously pinched his wife on her behind.

Booth almost laughed at the pained expression on Aubrey's face. "What Bones is trying to say is that an ex-girlfriend bought me the phone. Neither of us know where she got it. Sorry, man."

"Ah. Sorry, Doctor Brennan. I hope-"

Brennan shook her head, holding her hand up to forestall any other apologies Aubrey might attempt. "James, its fine. Really. It doesn't matter who gave the phone to Booth, it's something he wanted for a very long time and I'm glad he finally received one." With a satisfied nod, Brennan finished with the large sandwich platter and picked it up to carry to the dining room where the rest of the food was set up. "Booth, the crab puffs need eight more minutes and then they go on that green plate. Thank you."

Once Brennan had walked away, Aubrey turned to Booth. "Booth, I'm sorry about that."

Angela snuck a celery stick from the plate in front of her, earning a resentful glare from Booth's colleague. "I'm impressed that Brennan let you keep that phone from Hannah, Booth. If it were me, I would have taken a sledgehammer to it." She smiled at Booth's scowl. "No offense. But even you have to admit, that was a rough time for her."

Booth shook off his irritation at his wife's best friend and smiled at Aubrey. "Don't worry about, really. Besides…" He paused as Brennan re-entered the kitchen to grab the crudités. Interrupting her work, he kissed her quickly but passionately, drawing a blush from her, a snicker from Angela and a throat-clearing from the younger agent. When a grinning Brennan had walked away again, he finished his thought.

"I know where that phone really came from, and nothing would ever make me get rid of it."


	10. Ears

Ears

Booth pulled into his designated spot in the Jeffersonian parking garage and turned to give Brennan a kiss goodbye when without so much as a warning, she crawled across the seats, straddled his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him soundly and passionately. He enthusiastically returned the affection, but he also knew that if they kept this up for much longer he wasn't going to be able to stop…not that he cared. Brennan grabbed his hand that rested on her hip and brought it up to her breast, silently begging. He wholeheartedly agreed, sliding underneath her blouse and thumbing her already hard nipple, eliciting a deep groan and causing her to grind her lower body onto his already painful erection. Her hands came from behind his neck to rest on his belt buckle, deftly opening the clasp and pulling down his zipper, seemingly at the same time. Booth moaned and grabbed her hand in his. "Bones..do you really want to do this here? Where anyone could-"

She stopped him with another kiss. "Booth, I need you. Now. And I don't care who knows it." She continued to remove his pants, letting him rise up slightly to pull them down over his hips along with his boxers and out of her way. He yanked up her skirt, reaching between her legs to find that not only was she wet and ready, but had conveniently forgotten to wear panties that day. Without breaking the connection between their lips, Brennan raised her hips and pulled him into her, breathing his name on a sigh of total abandonment. "Please, Booth…please. Don't-" she gasped as he levered his hips up, stopping her begging and drawing a gasp from her. "Right there…don't stop!"

As if he could stop. The feel of her warm body enveloping his was almost too much for Booth to bear, and he feared this was going to be over for him before it was over for her. But his fears were unfounded as Brennan began to make noises deep in her throat that he had come to recognize as the signals that she was getting close to orgasm. He pumped his hips harder and bent his head to lave her nipple through her bra, having pulled the blouse aside in his ardor. Suddenly, she grabbed his hair and threw her head back, keening low in her chest and crying out in abandon. "Oh, God! Oh, God! Yes, yes, yes!"

As the orgasm hit her, it felt like her entire body was aflame. Every nerve ending prickled, sending her further over the edge. She looked down into Booth's eyes, dark and passion-filled, as she came down from her peak, riding him harder and deeper to bring him to the brink as well. Recognizing his tells as well, Brennan finally leaned forward and nuzzled his warm neck, her tongue tracing the corded muscles there before pulling his earlobe into her mouth and biting down gently but firmly. That was the final push Booth needed, and he was immediately pulled into his own pleasure spiral. "I-I love you, Temperance! So, so much-" He gasped as he was hit like a freight train by his orgasm, pulling her forward and latching onto her lips with his, moaning into her mouth with satisfaction.

Brennan giggled as she came back to herself, realizing that she should be embarrassed that this was not the first time she had ever gotten so lost in passion that she forgot where she was. Her rational side told her that it was a combination of pheromones and serotonin that reacted to Booth's unique scent, but the woman in her knew the truth. His heart, his head, his body, his soul…every part of him made her weak in the knees and foggy in the mind. She had long since embraced the fact that she loved Booth, and she reveled in what that meant. He was her other half, her perfect puzzle piece, her soul mate. (Metaphorically speaking, of course.) She could never, ever get enough of this man. And while six years ago that thought would have terrified her, right now all it did was give her peace. Peace she hadn't felt since she was 15 years old. And she was determined to make sure that he felt the same way as well. For the rest of their lives.

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_**A/N: Just an acknowledgment…my good friend Frankie suggested the idea for this one, as well as for a previous chapter, Chocolate. So thanks to her for knocking me out of my minor block. **_


	11. Name

Name

"I like Bartholomew."

"Ugh. Really, Bones?" Booth rolled his eyes and settled back into his pillows. He watched with undisguised interest as Brennan pulled her blouse over her head and shucked her slacks and underwear, and then bent over to root through her bottom drawer for a pair of sleep pants. "Can we have a few vetoes each?"

Brennan stood and "Vetoes? I don't know what you mean." She moved to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, still holding her pajamas in her hands.

Booth leaned forward to watch his wife's breasts sway with each movement, groaning when she pulled her t-shirt over her head, effectively ending his favorite free peep show. "You know. Vetoes. We each get, like, I don't know…five strikes. If one of us suggests a name for the new baby the other doesn't like, we get to veto it, up to five."

"Ah." The sound of her Sonic Care filtered out into the bedroom, so he waited patiently as she cleaned her teeth. Once she completed her ablutions, she turned off the overhead light and climbed into bed, picking up her book with a sigh. "I understand the concept, but what happens when we both run out of vetoes?"

"Huh." He absently scratched his chin. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll run out of vetoes and we'll be stuck with a name like Femi."

Brennan bristled, setting her book aside to properly glare at her husband. "Booth! Femi is short for Olufemi, and I find it to be a beautiful, strong name. It is African in origin and means _adored by God_. I think that detail would appeal to you, at least."

Resisting the urge to point out that her interest in God only flared up when it suited her, Booth shook his head. "No, Bones. I want a name that is meaningful to _us_. Not some Mubutu tribe in Sierra Leone or something. A name we can both be proud to have given our son."

"Booth, there's no Mubutu-" Brennan's protest was cut off by her partner's glare. "Fine. Then how about Joseph. We name our son after his father."

He sighed and lay down on his side, facing her. "Bones, that's sweet…but Joseph is also my dad's middle name. I'd rather not."

Mimicking his position, Brennan brushed her hand against his furrowed forehead. "Then that settles it. Henry. Henry Matthew. After Pops and Parker. They are the two most important males in your life." Booth fought back misty eyes as she continued. "And I believe that they are the two people who have had more to do with the man you are today than anyone in the world. Would that not be fitting?"

Unable to speak, Booth simply nodded and leaned over to kiss Brennan gratefully. His hand rested reverently on her rapidly expanding abdomen, rubbing softly. "You hear that, Henry? You have a name, kiddo." He smiled up at his partner in everything. "You have a name, and a fantastic mother. Lucky baby."

Brennan ran her hand through his tousled hair, returning his watery smile. "Booth…" She whispered.

"Yeah, Bones?"

"While you're down there…"

Booth grinned naughtily, his hand slowly moving south. "Yes, Bones?"

"Would you mind asking Henry to move off of my bladder?"


	12. Sensual

Sensual

Her hands flitted along the back of his neck as he rocked them back and forth slowly, but with purpose. She tipped her head back as his lips caressed her throat, bringing out a satisfied hum that slid through the soft music floating through their living room.

Her laughter bubbled up between them as he hit a ticklish spot near her clavicle, and when he looked down into her eyes, they were sparkling with happiness. He had given her so much, beginning with simple friendship that had evolved into something unspeakably precious, but he wanted to put voice to those gifts that she had been giving him since the day they met, and so he leaned down again and began to whisper words of love and devotion into her ear, words that brought bright tears to her eyes and joy to her heart.

She wrapped her arms tighter around his shoulders and followed his lead as he moved them across the floor. The smooth voice of Nina Simone surrounded them as they wrapped themselves in each other and continued their timeless, sensual dance.


	13. Death

Death

Booth walked into the lab, holding his daughter's tiny hand in his much larger one while carrying his son's car seat in the other. Christine looked around for her mother while simultaneously ignoring the platform and any yucky dead bodies that might be laid out there, while her father took the more expedient (and more obnoxious) route by calling his wife's nickname as they skirted the main platform and headed for Brennan's office.

Brennan's head popped out of her doorway, a smile gracing her fine features as Christine broke free from Booth and ran to her mother, wrapping her arms around her waist with enthusiasm. She released her hold when her daddy bent forward to claim his own hello, divesting himself of Henry's carrier as Brennan reached eagerly for her baby.

The little family settled in Brennan's office as she fed her hungry boy and chatted with Christine about her school day. Booth sat back in the corner of the sofa and watched them interact, thinking about the significance of this day and how grateful he was for everything he had.

As if attuned to Booth's thoughts, Hodgins knocked on the closed door and waited to be waived in as Brennan covered her exposed breast, not wanting to embarrass her colleague. The entomologist accepted Christine's excited hug and questions about Michael Vincent with good humor, all the while making solemn eye contact with Brennan first, then Booth respectively. Angela came in behind him and spirited Christine away to play with paper and crayons and Brennan tucked herself back into her blouse while Booth burped the baby and then rocked him back and forth softly.

"Is 5 PM okay?" Hodgins finally asked.

The partners exchanged a look before Brennan nodded. "That's fine, Hodgins. Booth will take the children home soon, and I have some paperwork to complete, then we can go afterwards."

"Thanks, Doctor B. Booth." Hodgins nodded and made his way back into the lab proper, leaving the couple alone for a moment.

Brennan scooted closer to Booth, silently urging him to wrap his arm around her as she snuggled into his side. "I dislike this day."

Booth nodded. "Me too, Bones."

She huffed, frustrated with her own emotions. "It's irrational. November 15 should feel like any other day, Booth."

"But it's not. Not for any of us. Even Cam's been on edge this week." He paused as he pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head reverently. "I almost lost you, Temperance. We almost lost both of you."

He could feel her shake her head in agreement. "I know. But I don't like to dwell on it. And yet, every year, Hodgins and I take that drive out to that pit and dwell on how we didn't die, and it all seems like…it seems pointless."

Booth sighed. "But every year, you drive _away_ from that pit and you go have dinner and you dwell on what you _do_ have because you escaped death. That's the point, Bones. Remembering and celebrating. Giving the moment its due."

Brennan closed her eyes for a moment and absorbed his words. With a small nod, she smiled slightly.

"Do we have this conversation every year, Booth?"

"Pretty much."

"I'm sure you're probably sick of it by now, huh?"

"Eh, it's only once a year. I can deal with it if it makes you feel better."

"You do make me feel better." She kissed him softly.

He grinned against her lips. "Just one more service we offer free of charge, ma'am. That, fantastic back rubs and a complimentary cup of coffee."

Brennan laughed and hit him lightly in the arm. "Be serious."

"Hey, my back rubs _are _serious, I'll have you know." With matching sighs, they settled back into the cushions again and all the mirth left Booth's face as he cupped Brennan's cheek and caught her eyes with his. "All kidding aside, Bones…I've said it before and I will say it again, I knew you wouldn't give up."

"I didn't give up because I knew that you wouldn't give up."

Booth smiled again. "You had faith in me."

Brennan kissed him, enjoying the feel of his long, hard body against her softer frame. "Only as much as you had in me."


	14. Sex

Sex (and Making Love)

Brennan collapsed onto her pillow face-first, physically spent. When her bed companion fell next to her and ran a hand down her back sweetly, she shuddered at the touch and moved slightly away from his roaming hands, pulling the discarded sheet around herself.

"Tempe? Where're you going? C'mere." Sully reached for her, brow furrowing when she pulled back even further. "Is everything okay?"

"Mmmhmm." She replied, patting his hand absently before turning over. "It's not personal. I'm just not comfortable with post-coital embracing."

Sully hid his disappointment and rolled to his back, staring at the ceiling as he tried to regulate his breathing back to normal. "I get that, its fine. Not everyone is a cuddler."

Her voice was soft and sleepy. "Thank you for understanding."

He nodded as he turned towards her, realizing that the back of her head facing him could have just as easily been a brick wall between them. "Anytime." He breathed out quietly as he stared at her, deciding in that instant that he probably didn't have anything to lose, and spoke out loud what was in his heart. "You know, I think I might be falling in love with you, Tempe."

Her even breathing was his only response.

* * *

Booth collapsed onto his pillow face-first, physically spent. When Brennan rolled over and ran her hand down his back sweetly, he shuddered at the touch and rolled over to pull her closer, wrapping the discarded sheet around them both.

"C'mere, Bones." He smiled as she slung her arm around him and kissed his chest. "Everything okay?"

Brennan laughed softly. "You know everything is just fine, Booth. I am convinced that my vocalizations were more than enough to indicate my satisfaction."

Grinning, Booth shook his head. "I don't know which I find hotter…your squint speak in bed or the fact that you're such a cuddler." He squeezed her tighter and bent his head to kiss her upturned lips. "I love you, Bones."

Pulling closer to her husband's side, Brennan sighed happily. "I love you too, Booth."


	15. Gift

Gift

"He's beautiful, Seeley."

Booth smiled at his oldest friend as she rocked his newborn son. Cam had stopped by the house bearing carryout and a helping hand so that the little family wouldn't have to worry about cooking and an exhausted Brennan could get some sleep. "He really is. Looks just like Parker did when he was born."

"How's Christine handling it? Becoming a big sister is a big deal."

"Really well, actually. She was pretty mad when we made her go with Max while Bones delivered Henry, but even if she was in another part of the house, she still would have heard her mother in labor and neither of us wanted that."

"You mean _you_ didn't want that." Cam corrected with a laugh. "I imagine Brennan thought it was a good learning opportunity about human biology."

Booth shook his head. "No, really. Believe it or not." He stood to take the baby when he started fussing, trying to shush him before Brennan heard him and woke from her nap. "Bones said she was too young to completely understand, even if she is smarter than the average five year old." Grinning, Booth placed Henry in the cradle next to him, then settled back onto the sofa. "Probably a good thing Christine wasn't here, Bones cursed me out a lot more this time."

Cam rolled her eyes. "I cannot imagine Brennan cursing at all. Even if it is rational during childbirth."

"Is calling me a 'demonic fatherless offspring' considered cursing?" Booth laughed.

Snorting in amusement, she nodded. "Oh yeah. Even in squint speak 'evil bastard' is a curse."

"Maybe so." Booth glanced lovingly over at his sleeping son, snuggled safely in his cradle. "But considering the gift she gave me, a little cursing out is a very small price to pay."


	16. Hands

_**A/N: This snippet involves a spoiler that's been out for awhile. So proceed at your own risk. **_

_**Thanks to some1tookmyname for the beta work. **_

* * *

Hands

It started with her monthly habit of balancing the checkbook.

Brennan had explained to Booth that, whenever he made a withdrawal from the ATM, he needed to write it in the checkbook so that she could keep track. She didn't care how much he spent, just that it was recorded for later reconciliation. He had rolled his eyes and muttered something about how he had actually had a bank account and paid his bills long before he'd even met her, but she had already moved on to something else and ignored him. So when the balance in the checkbook was several hundred dollars more than the bank statement, she mentioned it to him, her irritation minor at best. He's been angry at first, but she had chalked that up to his own embarrassment for forgetting something that he'd insisted was so very basic.

The final tipping point had been the call from the bank.

When she returned home that night after having dropped Christine off with the Hodgins, she found him sitting on the sofa, glass of scotch in hand. He looked at her as she set her bag down and removed her jacket. She likened the expression on his face to someone awaiting execution and for some reason that comforted her. He knew, most likely due to having gotten the same phone call from the bank, so at least she wouldn't have to deal with the denial as well.

She settled next to him and without thinking did something that unspooled the hard knot in his chest and immediately let him know that everything was going to be okay. She placed her hand on his knee and rubbed softly.

"When did it start?" She asked quietly.

The lack of judgment in her tone and her even expression almost broke him, but he swallowed the sob that threatened and looked up at the ceiling as he answered her. "Right after Sweets."

"Was that your trigger?"

"I don't even know anymore."

"Booth…"

He shook his head and turned red-rimmed eyes to the one person in his life he knew would never judge him no matter what he confessed. His mind flashed back unbidden to ten years ago, when she sat next to him at Arlington and listened as he told her about shooting a man in front of his young son. She was nothing but comforting and supportive and from that moment on, she had his absolute trust. So when what should have been easy for him to say was a struggle, he became frustrated and stood to pace the floor in front of the fireplace.

"I love our life, Bones." he began. "I do. More than anything. I love you and I love Christine and Parker…and I already love this new baby…but…" Suddenly he dropped to his knees in front of Brennan, tipping forward to rest his forehead in her lap. His voice strained and slightly muffled, he continued. "Everything that's happened in the last year has just…it's been so much. Jail, Sweets…Pops…" His voice broke when he mentioned his late grandfather. He placed one hand on her swollen abdomen. "And even with all the wonderful in our lives, it was overwhelming and I felt so…"

"Out of control." Brennan said quietly. "It's all been so out of control, Booth. I know. I know…"

He took her hands, desperately clutching her as if she were a literal life line. "Yes! Yes, it's just been so crazy and I know that's no excuse but I thought that this was something I could control." He sniffled a bit and absently wiped his face on his sleeve. "I guess it never occurred to me to just take the cash and put it somewhere else. Depositing it in the bank seemed like the smart thing to do. Although I haven't been too smart lately."

Brennan smiled softly. "You had to know they would question a cash deposit of over sixty thousand dollars, Booth. You're a cop, you know the new Homeland Security rules. Filing an 8300 form is the law."

Realization dawning, Booth shook his head in self-deprecation. "Probably why I used the overnight deposit instead of a teller. I must have known, in the back of my mind."

They were both quiet as Booth remained at her feet, relaxing slightly while she ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his neck. He raised his head to look at her, her gaze bringing even more calm to his raging internal storm. Finally, Brennan leaned down to kiss the top of her husband's head and stood, forcing him to his feet as well.

"There is a meeting tonight at the Methodist Church on L Street. Would you like to attend?"

Shamed to the point of speechlessness, Booth simply nodded. His eyes never wavered from hers, however, and his unspoken question called to her as clearly as if he had spoken aloud.

"I will go with you, if you'd like."

He sighed in relief and pulled her into his arms, never more grateful for the woman who had chosen to spend her life with him. "I would, Bones. I would like that very much."


	17. Smile

_**A/N: I swear, I am going to finish this list. **_

* * *

Smile

There wasn't anything unusual about the knock on the door, aside from the simple fact that the man on the other side shouldn't _have to_ knock on his own door. The sound made the pit of Brennan's stomach ache. Not because she was worried about Booth coming over to spend time with Christine, but because this whole scenario was even necessary.

She felt guilty. Even knowing she was right to do what she had done, even when Aubrey and Cam and even Angela told her she had done what needed to be done…it ate at her. And then she got angry all over again, blaming him for her guilt. And then she would feel bad for feeling angry and the cycle would start again and she was just so damn tired of the entire thing.

When Christine raced by her, her cry of "Daddy!" following the creak of the door and her husband's greeting of "Hey, sweetheart." Brennan had the irrational urge to turn and hide in their bedroom. They had barely spoken at work and the constant phone calls between them during the day had all but stopped unless they were case-related, so she worried that they were going to be uncomfortable and odd in front of their daughter.

But, despite the situation, despite everything, he was still Booth and she found immeasurable comfort in that fact as he lifted Christine into his arms and smiled at Brennan. "Hey, Bones."

"Hi, Booth." She stepped forward and accepted his kiss on her cheek. "Christine missed you, very much." She swallowed reflexively. "We- we've missed you."

Booth pulled his daughter closer into his body with one arm and reached, almost plaintively, for his wife with the other. She leaned into him, reveling in his clean, uncomplicated scent and easy strength. Strength she knew he had been missing since long before his relapse, at least as long as Sweets had been gone.

Christine broke the moment, chattering about something she had made at school that she wanted to show her father. Booth set her down and sent her to get whatever it was she was so excited about, taking the little girl's enthusiasm in with a small grin. When she was out of sight, he turned and took Brennan's hands in his, sudden tears in his eyes shocking Brennan into silence.

"Thank you, Bones." His breath hitched a bit on her name, and the tightness that spread from her chest to her throat was hard to fight as she struggled to answer him.

"Booth…you know I would never keep you from Christine."

He shook his head, keeping his eyes locked on hers. "No. I mean, yes. I know that. But, what I needed to thank you for was…" He pulled her into his arms suddenly, and her arms locked around his body automatically, fisting his shirt in her hands. He leaned into her shoulder, his warm breath so damp and comforting on her neck. "I need to thank you for kicking me out."

Brennan pulled back in surprise, her eyes wide and disbelieving. "Booth, I-"

"No. No, Bones. You did the right thing. I was messed up, and I _lied_ to you. Right to your face." His breath shuddered a bit as he paused, almost painfully. "And I wasn't even concerned about that asshole Jimmy showing up here, threatening you and Christine. I was only worried about covering my own ass. But…you did the right thing, the _hard_ thing. And it was the kick in the butt I needed." He reached up and swiped at the tear that slid down her face with his thumb. "I'm so sorry, Bones. But you need to know, I'm getting straightened out. I realize that you have no reason to believe me, and that you always need proof, so I'm working on giving you that. Okay?" She nodded. "I don't expect anything resembling faith and trust from you, I don't deserve that. But you do deserve to know that what you did…it…"

Brennan mirrored Booth's earlier action, reaching up to wipe his own tears away.

"What you did, Bones…you saved me." He pulled her into his embrace one more time. "And I just wanted you to know that."

They both pulled back when Christine ran back into the room, waving a picture she had painted earlier in the week, and Booth crouched down to shower praise on their daughter as Brennan watched. She took the short opportunity to observe her husband objectively. Before, when he was fully in the grip of his addiction, he had been unshaven, tired-looking and often distant. But now, he looked…calmer. More centered. Relaxed, engaged, and as close to happy as she had ever seen him. That was the beginning of the proof that he insisted she needed.

And the ache in the pit of her stomach began to ease, just a little. And she smiled.


End file.
